A Rangeman Christmas Carol
by spiffytgm
Summary: It seems a certain man in black needs a little help, and he finds it with some help from his friends. Always a Babe!
1. Chapter 1

**I wanted to wish everyone a happy holiday (no matter which one you happen to celebrate), so I ****decided to put together this little (3 parts) story. It's a short one, And I hope you enjoy!**

**Since my High School Spanish was taken back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, we'll just assume anything in Italics was spoken in Spanish.**

**Any characters you recognize belong to JE. All mistakes are mine. I make nothing from this other than the warm, fuzzy feeling I get when I read the reviews.**

It was the morning of Christmas Eve, and three of the four people gathered around the desk would normally be in the gym at this time. Each of the men there felt a little uneasy at what the fourth was telling them. Normally, they would never interfere in one of their brother's personal lives, but it was obvious to all four of them that something needed to be done.

"Tia Ella," Lester started, trying to keep the pleading note out of his voice, "we know they belong together, but don't you think that they should be the ones to make that decision?"

His aunt took his hand. "If I'm right, they will be the ones to make the decision. I'm just giving them a nudge in the right direction."

Lester didn't look convinced. "Tia Ella,"

Ella shushed him. "You listen to your aunt before I decide to take a closer look into your love life."

Les paled. "Yes, Tia."

Ella stood to leave. "You each know what you have to do, and when you have to do it. Don't let me down, boys. Operation Christmas Miracle is going to be a success." Each of the men nodded as she left the office.

Once she closed the door behind herself, each of the men let out a breath. Les shivered. "I love my Tia, but I hope she never decides to get that involved in my life." The other two men could only nod in agreement. Ella was the only woman they knew, besides Grandma Mazur, who could make these trained killers tremble with fear.

o0()0o

Carlos was coming out of the bedroom, dressed for another day of keeping the streets of Trenton safe, when Ella came in the front door carrying the tray holding his breakfast. He watched as she set out the plate with his egg white omelet and fresh fruit, followed by freshly squeezed orange juice and black coffee. He knew that the coffee wasn't exactly the healthiest beverage, but at least he didn't drown it in cream and sugar like a certain blue-eyed brunette he could name.

Before he could be carried away by thoughts of her, his aunt finished setting out his breakfast. She turned to him and placed her hand on his cheek. "Feliz Navidad, Carlos."

He closed his eyes and savored his aunt's gentle touch. Considering how many years she had been here, she was like a second mother to him. He gave her one of his rare smiles and said, "Feliz Navidad a ti también, Tia Ella." (Merry Christmas to you too, Aunt Ella.)

She walked to the door to begin her daily duties, but turned around before she left. "_Everything is ready for the Christmas party this afternoon. I'll make sure the fridge in the lunchroom is stocked before Luis and I leave. Will I see you at your mother's house tomorrow?"_

_"__No, Ella. I'll be here filling in for some of the men."_

She shook her head. _"Carlos, Christmas is a time to be with the people you love." _She walked back and sat next to me at the table. _"Please tell me Stephanie is coming over. I can fix you dinner for two before I go."_

He raised an eyebrow. She wouldn't normally force the issue, but she was always more concerned around the holidays. "_No, Ella. I would imagine she's going to spend the day with the people who deserve her love."_

Ella blew out a breath. _"Who deserves her love more than you? That Policeman? Her family? None of them appreciate her for the treasure that she is. You need to look with your heart, Carlos. There is no one more deserving of her love than you."_

The corner of his mouth lifted like he was thinking about smiling. _"There are some people who would tell you that I don't have a heart."_

She reached over and took his hand. _"I dare those people to say that to me. You have the biggest heart I've ever seen. I'm going to give you a gift, Carlos. You're going to have three visitors. Each one is going to show you what you mean to everyone around you."_

He frowned. _"Aunt Ella."_

She stood and made her way quickly to the front door. _"No need to thank me. Just let me bake the wedding cake."_ Before he could growl at her, she left the apartment and headed towards the stairs. Before she opened the door, she took out her phone and texted "showtime".

o0()0o

After breakfast, Ranger walked downstairs to his office. He was still thinking about Stephanie, just like his aunt had planned. He was unprepared for the sight that greeted him from behind his own desk. Seated in his chair was someone wearing a bed sheet with holes cut out for eyes, like he and his cousins did when they were kids. If he remembered correctly, their parents were always somewhat less than amused by the stunt.

Spinning in Ranger's chair, the "ghost" finally spoke in the spooky pretend ghost voice they used as children. "I am the ghost of Christmas past."

Ranger shook his head. "You're not a ghost yet, but if you want, I'll tell Ella what you did to her sheets. I'm sure she'll help speed your journey along."

He rounded the desk and snatched the sheet off a grinning Lester. "You think she'll ground me?"

Ranger snorted. "If you're lucky."

Lester stood and walked towards the door. "You ready for a trip down memory lane?"

Ranger frowned at him. "No. I have work to do. I don't have time for games."

Lester shook his head. "Sorry, hermano. Ella's orders. There's no way I'm going to cut up her sheets and not do what she told me to. Your meetings are covered this morning, and we'll be back in time for the Christmas party."

Ranger growled, but walked towards the door. He could argue, but he knew that in the end Ella would win. She controlled the food and every soldier knows that an army moves on its stomach.

Together they walked down to the garage and climbed into Les' SUV. As they got closer to Newark, Ranger began to feel more and more uneasy. When the got to the neighborhood where they grew up, Ranger couldn't help but shake his head. The area certainly hadn't improved with age. They got out of the car and headed towards the bodega where they used to hang out as kids. It jolted Ranger to think that he used to be just like the punks hanging out by the door now, wearing the black and gold colors of the Latin Kings.

As they passed an alley, Ranger noticed a figure in the shadows. Ranger's hand itched to get closer to his gun, but this wasn't his turf anymore. A voice called out to him. "Hey, Esse, you got the time?"

Ranger breathed a sigh of relief as his hand dropped away from his weapon. "_Shouldn't you be at work?"_

The man in the alley smiled, which lifted the teardrop tattoos in the corner of his eye. "_Got a job to do right here."_

Ranger shrugged. _"We've both come a long way from this street."_

Hector walked out of the alley. _"It never really left us, though."_ Some of the gangbangers that were hanging out at the bodega started to walk in their direction, but Hector gave them a hand signal and they backed off. _"They still remember who I am and what I can do. None of them know who Carlos Manoso is anymore."_

_"__Just another punk kid."_

Hector shook his head. _"Not even back then." _He looked at Lester. _"Does anyone even know that I was the one who boosted that car?"_

Lester looked shocked. Ranger's getting busted for stealing a car was the event that changed his life. He couldn't imagine that it was Hector that stole it. Ranger just shrugged. _"It didn't matter. We were brothers, any one of the gang would have taken the fall."_

Hector shook his head. _"No, brother. You were the one who slowed down so that they would catch you and I could get away."_

_"__Your mother was dying. She needed you more than the cops did."_

Hector nodded at the gangbangers who were still hanging out. _"That's the difference between you and them. Out here it's every man for himself. Anyone else would have gotten themselves away first. Even when they threatened to send you to juvie, you didn't give me up. It's a debt I can never repay."_

Ranger shook his head. _"There's no price for helping out a brother. Things turned out the way they were meant to."_ Ranger and Hector shared a complicated handshake, and the former gangbanger faded back into the alley.

Ranger and Lester got back in the SUV and started to drive back to Trenton. Lester was still shocked by what he had learned. "Man, you got shipped to Miami because you were covering for Hector?"

Ranger just stared out the windshield. "That was a long time ago, and Miami wasn't exactly a difficult city to live in."

Lester refused to let it drop. "Still, you had to go live with Abuela Rosa. It was all the family could talk about."

Ranger stayed silent and watched the miles pass by. When they got to Princeton, Lester got off the highway and drove through a neighborhood. They stopped in front of a well-kept ranch house that Ranger didn't recognize.

The door was opened by a woman in her late fifties. She invited them inside and offered them a drink. Once they were seated, she went to the kitchen to get them some water. Before she could return, a man in a wheelchair rolled out to the living room. Now ranger felt like he was seeing a ghost. The last time he had seen Jones, they were pulling him off the helicopter and taking him straight into surgery. Once he had been offloaded, the helicopter took off, and the men never saw each other again.

Ranger kept his blank face firmly in place as he was assaulted by memories. The mission had been FUBAR from the beginning, but that didn't stop Ranger for feeling responsible for Jones losing his legs when he stepped on a land mine. All of the men made it out alive that time, but Jones had paid the price.

Jones rolled up to Ranger and held out his hand. As they shook, he asked, "How've you been, Captain?"

Ranger found his voice and said, "Fine. How have you been?"

Jones wheeled his chair back a few inches and said, "Still rolling." He laughed at his own joke, although no one else did. He looked at his brothers in arms sitting blank-faced on his mother's couch. "Come on, that was a good one." Ranger still didn't reply, so Jones continued. "Captain, I don't blame you for what happened. I've been through a lot of therapy since I got back stateside, and I like to think I've learned a few things. The most important thing is that I don't focus on what I can't do, it's much better to focus on what I can do. I didn't lose my legs because of you. It's because of you that I made it out alive. You carried me out of that hellhole, and I'm grateful for it. I've got a good life and a great girlfriend. I've made my peace."

By the time they left Jones' mother's house, Ranger and Lester were both in awe of his strength. When they found out that he lived in Georgia, Ranger gave him a card and offered him a position in the Atlanta office. He told them he'd think about it.

When they got back to Rangeman, Ranger was ready to close himself in his office. Lester told him that they had one more stop and led him to the first floor conference room. When Ranger opened the door, he saw that the table had been pushed to the side. Two Adirondack chairs were in the middle of the floor, facing the opposite wall. Projected on the wall was a view of a Louisiana bayou through oak trees covered in Spanish moss. Cal sat in one of the chairs drinking from a bottle. Ranger went in and sat down. "Is anybody working today?"

Cal laughed and took another drink. "My shift starts after the party."

Ranger looked at the bottle on the floor between them. "If you're working today, are you sure you want to be drinking in front of the boss?"

Cal took another sip and handed the bottle to Ranger. "Sweet tea. The bottle is just a prop."

Ranger took a sip and looked at the scene on the wall. "Looks peaceful out there."

Cal nodded. "It is. At least until the mosquitoes come out. Then it's a bloodbath. Any time you need a place to get away, you're welcome to stay there."

"Do you miss it?"

Cal never looked away from the image. "Sometimes. It's soothing. I used to think I'd stay there until either my liver gave out, or I worked up the courage to eat my pistol. Two things saved me from that. The first was an old lieutenant from the Rangers who kicked my ass and made me come to work."

"You might want to think about who you're calling old there, grandpa."

Cal snorted out a laugh. "The second was a little wisp of a girl that brought me a cake when I got a concussion at her niece's birth. She gets under your skin, you know?"

Ranger took another sip of Cal's tea. "Yeah, I know."

Cal nodded. "I guess you do. I love her like a sister. She's family now, and I would move heaven and earth to make her happy."

"So would I."

Cal finally looked at his boss. "Then you need to figure out what it is that would make her happy. I don't think it's what you think it is." He stood and pressed the button on the remote that worked the projector, leaving Ranger sitting in the dark.

He sat there for a few moments without turning on any lights. All too soon, the door opened and someone else sat in the chair Cal had vacated. Ranger expected the new visitor to say something, but he just sat there. Finally Ranger broke the silence. "You here to offer advice, Brown?"

Bobby shook his head and stood. "Nah, man, I'm the ghost of Christmas Present."


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you all so much for the wonderful responses to the first chapter! You've certainly made my Christmas Merry & Bright!**

**All hail JE, creator and owner of all things Plum! (except for the mistakes, those are mine)**

Ranger was past the point of being surprised. "You're the ghost of Christmas present?"

Bobby smiled. "Surprise!"

Ranger chuckled. "All right, Brown, show me what you got."

Bobby led Ranger up to the fifth floor. He walked him into the conference room, where their Christmas party was set up. Ella had once again outdone herself, judging by the massive amount of food spread around the room. Ranger looked at Bobby. "Ella got you to show me the Christmas party? Looks like you got the easy job."

Bobby gave him a droll stare. "This may be our Christmas party, but can you tell me what's missing?"

Ranger took another look around the room. Not seeing anything missing, he asked, "The Rare Who Roast Beest?"

Bobby rolled his eyes. "Roast Beest is a feast I can't stand in the least. Seriously, though, do you see any decorations?"

"I told Ella we didn't need them. You can't eat a Christmas tree."

Bobby shook his head. "That's not the point. This looks more like a corporate luncheon than a Christmas party. Look, man, I know Rangeman isn't about the decorations, but would it have killed you to slap a wreath on the door? Never mind, let's take a look around." He led Ranger out to where the employees had their cubicles.

Ranger pointed to one of the cubicles. "See, there's decorations."

Bobby crossed his arms. "And whose cubicle is that?"

He slumped a little bit. "Stephanie's."

Bobby smiled. "She's the only one around here that heard you say that you weren't interested in decorations and decide that you didn't know what you're talking about." Ranger smiled. "Actually, this wasn't her fault." Both men laughed at that. "She hung that sad little wreath that she probably picked up at CVS. The next day Hal gave her a Christmas ornament, and she hung it up. After that, everyone here gave her one. Well, except for you and Les."

"Les didn't give her an ornament and Tank did?"

Bobby Grinned. "Tank gave her the one shaped like a kitten." Ranger rubbed his temples, trying to get rid of the headache he could feel coming on. "Les is the one who hung the mistletoe on her monitor." Ranger had a look that said the ghost of Christmas Past might actually become a ghost by the end of the day. "Relax, bro. She called him a perv and pushed him away. You know that he was teasing and she doesn't feel that way about him." Ranger was still seeing red, but he settled his blank look back onto his face.

"Great. I'm an ass and everyone loves Stephanie. Is show and tell over now so that I can get some work done?"

Bobby clapped him on the shoulder and led him to the stairs. "Shit no. We just got started."

They got into Bobby's SUV and drove to Stephanie's apartment. When they walked up to the door, Bobby got a set of lockpicks from his pocket. "I know you usually do this, but I need to practice my skills."

"But,"

"Shhhh, I need to concentrate. I haven't done this in a while." Ranger leaned against the wall and crossed his ankles while Bobby picked the lock. When he heard the familiar tumble, Bobby turned and smiled at Ranger. His smile fell when he spotted the key Ranger was holding in his hand. "What's that?"

Ranger smirked. "I was going to suggest using the key, but that seemed to work."

"That's just wrong, man. You know that one of the reasons she calls you Batman is how easily you break into her apartment all the time." Ranger's smirk turned into a grin, and he put the key back into his wallet. Bobby shook his head and opened the door.

Other than a few small bags and a roll of wrapping paper on her table, you would never know it was Christmas by looking at her apartment. There was no tree, no lights, and no Christmas stockings. In fact, knowing Stephanie, there was probably no food in her kitchen, either. Ranger looked at Bobby. "Other than the fact that we both hired the same Christmas decorator, was there a point to this visit?"

Bobby looked at Ranger. "Isn't it obvious? You know she loves holidays. I bet if you look where she usually stashes her tastykakes, you'll find those Little Debbie Christmas tree shaped cakes. Why doesn't she have a single decoration?"

Ranger ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "I've tried, Bobby. She won't take anything from me. I practically begged her to take the job, and she'll only work part time."

Bobby gave him a look. "She doesn't want a handout, Ranger. You know what she wants. The only question is, are you ever going to be able to give it to her?" He peeked inside one of the bags on the table. "Why don't we take a break and go to the party for lunch?" Ranger was only too glad to leave the apartment. "Just a warning, I'm under orders from Ella. If you try to leave the party without me, I will tranq your ass." They walked out of the apartment. As Bobby closed the closed the door, Ranger looked from him to the door. Bobby said, "You have the key, you lock the door," and headed to the stairs.

They got in the car and Bobby started the motor. Before he put it in gear, Ranger asked, "Do we have time to pick up an ornament?"

Bobby smiled and drove from the parking lot. "I know just the place."

When they got back to Rangeman, Ranger saw Stephanie finishing a search on her computer. He turned to Bobby. "I'll catch up with you in the conference room."

Bobby looked at Stephanie. "Straight there." At Ranger's nod, Bobby walked away.

Ranger walked up behind her and leaned on the wall of her cubicle. She absently rubbed the back of her neck. "The mistletoe is a nice touch, but you could give a guy the wrong idea."

Stephanie jumped about a foot out of her chair and spun around to face him. "Jeez, give a girl some warning." She tried to arch an eyebrow, but of course, they both went up. "Maybe it was the right idea, but the wrong guy."

Ranger looked around her cubicle. "Very festive."

She bit her lower lip and blushed a nice shade of pink. "You didn't say we couldn't decorate, just that you didn't see a need. I got that crappy little wreath as a joke and hung it up. The next day, the guys started giving me ornaments. It was so sweet that I had to hang them up. Hal gave me the little dinosaur, Cal gave me the skull with the Christmas hat, and Ram gave me the little toy soldier. Even Rodriguez got into the spirit." She pointed at a clear ornament that looked like it should have something in it. She handed him a sticky note that said, "The Invisible Man is in there. Rodriguez." He knew she'd been trying to get a glimpse of him for years, which made his ornament very fitting.

Ranger said, "There seems to be one missing, Babe."

She looked away, then looked back at him. "No there isn't. Les gave me the mistletoe."

Ranger held out a small bag. "I was referring to this one."

The look of delight on her face made it worth the trip to the comic book store. When she pulled out the gray ornament with the Batman logo, her eyes softened and turned a shade darker. She carefully hung it next to her wreath. "It's perfect."

He knelt down so that they were face to face. He pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear. "So, going back to our earlier conversation, who would be the right guy for the right idea?" He gave her a soft kiss.

Stephanie was saved from having to answer by the growling of her stomach. Ranger gave her a rueful smile and held out his hand. "Come on, Babe, let's go feed the beast."

After they ate their lunch, Bobby and Ranger got back in the SUV and drove to the bonds office. When they walked in the door, Connie looked up from where she was painting Christmas trees on her nails. "Steph took your files with her this morning and Vinnie isn't here. Whatcha need?"

Bobby nodded to her. "My mistake. I forgot she was getting them. If you'll excuse us."

He turned towards the door when Lula came barreling around the filing cabinets. Lula is always a sight to behold, but during the holidays she gets even more outrageous. Today she was wearing a red spandex top and a green spandex skirt, both with fake white fur at the edges. This must have come from her Ho Ho Ho collection. The biggest problem he could see was that it was about two sizes too small. Breathing too heavily for comfort, she said, "You ain't getting away that easy, Batman. I want to know what you got white girl for Christmas."

Ranger gave Lula a stern look. "I don't think you need to know, Lula."

Lula put her hands on her hips and continued to block Ranger's exit. "Hunh. That probably means you didn't get her nothing. You'd best have gotten her a gift, Batman, and I want to know what it is."

Ranger was perplexed. "Why does it matter to you what I did or did not get her?"

"Because everyone knows what she's getting from her family and the cop. I want to know what you got her."

"So the only person that will be surprised by her presents is her?"

Connie snorted. "I don't think surprised is the word you're looking for. I'm thinking disgusted is more likely."

Ranger shot Connie a look. "What is she getting?"

Connie blew on her nails and shrugged. Ranger was getting seriously annoyed when Lula spoke up. "It's no big secret. Supercop got her one of those Cooking for Dummies books, and her mother got her a gift certificate that's only good for the bridal department at Macy's."

Connie finally decided to talk again. "It's not all bad. Her grandma got her a gift certificate to the Tattoo parlor on Hamilton."

Ranger fought the urge to bang his head against the wall. Once he was composed, he picked Lula up and moved her out of his way. "Good Afternoon, ladies. I'm sure you'll find out about Stephanie's present after she opens it." Bobby and Ranger beat a hasty retreat.

Once they were in the car, Ranger shuddered. Bobby sighed in relief. Once they got it out of their systems. Bobby made a phone call. "I need the location." He must not have liked what he heard, because he let out a soft curse and hung up the phone.

Bobby drove them out to a strip mall on Route 1 in Lawrence Township. Ranger had no idea what they were doing there until Bobby walked across the parking lot to the Motel next door. Ranger cursed when he saw the SUV parked there. The way the motel was set up, the doors were in an inside corridor, affording guests a small measure of privacy, and there were windows on the outside. Bobby walked into the office and came out a minute later shaking his head. He led Ranger around the back side of the building to a window about halfway down. Through a small part in the curtains, Ranger saw exactly what he thought he was going to see. He turned away and leaned against the side of the building.

Bobby laid his hand on Ranger's shoulder. "Do you really think this is what she wants?"

They drove in silence back to the Rangeman building. A wet snow started to fall, promising to blanket the city in a layer of gray slush. It seemed to match Ranger's mood. Once they were parked in the garage, Bobby spoke again. "Why don't you head on up to seven." Ranger didn't argue. He could really use a drink.

The first thing Ranger noticed when he walked into his apartment was that it was frigging cold in there. His breath puffed in front of him. The second thing he noticed was the giant outline of his friend in the dim light of his living room. "Let me guess, you're the ghost of Christmas yet to come?" Tank bowed, but didn't speak. "What the hell did you do to the heat in here?"

Tanks voice boomed out across the room. "Yeah, Merry Frigging Christmas to you, too."


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's the final installment. I hope you had as much fun reading it as I did writing it. I was once again blown away by all the positive responses I got. Y'all are the BEST! I'm just glad I managed to get this out before the end of the day. (barely)**

**Same disclaimer as always goes here…**

All Ranger wanted to do was get a drink and think about everything he'd seen today. Ella had told him there would be three visitors, though, so he was just going to have to man up and go with Tank. "That still doesn't tell me why my apartment is cold as hell, fucker."

Tank laughed. "I guess you're just going to have to think about that for a while." The two men walked down to five. "Let me just grab something from my office, and we can leave."

Ranger figured that while Tank was in his office, he could at least check for messages in his office. Just like his apartment, his office was cold as crap. He closed the door and waited for Tank in the hallway.

They got in Tank's SUV and drove to Mary Lou's house. Tank knocked on the door, and it was answered by a child less than half Tank's height. The boy stood slack-jawed as he brought his gaze further and further up until he got to Tank's face. Tank leaned down and asked, "Is your mom here?"

The boy turned and ran, yelling, "MOM! There's a giant at the door for you!" in his haste, he left the door open.

Ranger looked at the open door. He smirked and said, "It's a good thing we're not here to steal anything."

Tank folded his arms across his chest. "Judging by all the yelling, she probably hopes we're here to take one of the kids."

The boy that answered the door came back out followed by a slightly bigger child. The newcomer stared at Tank and said, "Holy Crap!"

The first boy pushed the second. "I'm telling mom you said Crap."

The second boy pushed back. "You said it too."

"Did not."

"Did too."

"Nuh-huh."

"Uh-huh."

Mary Lou came out from what Ranger assumed was the kitchen. She held a drooling toddler on her hip with one hand and pointed further into the house with the other. "Go watch TV, mommy needs to talk to these men."

The boys turned to leave when the smaller one said, "Tommy said Crap."

"Billy said it too."

"Did not."

"Did too." The boys started shoving each other again.

Mary Lou yelled, "Enough! TV, now!" Both boys ran from the room. Mary Lou invited the men inside. "Would you like something to drink?"

Tank said, "No thank you, I'm here for that thing if you have it."

Mary Lou looked blank for a second, then said, "Oh, that thing. It's in the kitchen somewhere, I just need to find it." She handed the toddler to Ranger. "Can you hold Jimmy for a minute?" She and tank walked from the room. As soon as she left the room, the toddler started to cry.

What Ranger didn't know was that Mary Lou and Tank were in the kitchen laughing silently. In a soft voice, Tank said, "Thank you for this, Mary Lou. Did you tell the boys to act like this?"

ML shook her head. "No. They're like this all the time. I love my boys, but they could drive you to drink. It's no wonder Steph never wanted kids of her own."

Another small boy ran into the kitchen and yelled, "Mom, Tommy's trying to make Billy eat one of the fish."

ML shouted, "There better be four fish in the fish tank when I get in there or so help me, you are both going to be grounded until you qualify for Social Security!"

ML and Tank walked out of the kitchen. Tank said, "Thank you, Mary Lou. I'll be in touch. By the way, is there anything you can think of that Stephanie would like for Christmas?"

Mary Lou took the screaming toddler from Ranger. "Yeah. She'd probably like to go to Tahiti for a week. You know, someplace warm where she can bring her best friend. Preferably someplace adults only."

Tank laughed and opened the door. "Thanks again, Mary Lou." Both men said their goodbyes and left. They climbed into the SUV and Tank said, "Do you think she hires a babysitter or a Lion Tamer when she wants to go out?"

Ranger shook his head. "What she really needs is an exorcist."

It was 6:30 when Tank parked the SUV about a block away from the Plum house. By the time they made their way to a window where they could see without being seen, dinner was mostly finished. The tableau was a familiar one. Helen was setting out dessert, Frank was shoveling in the last of his dinner as quickly as possible, and it looked like Valerie was wiping a half a bottle of red wine off of her husband's shirt. They could hear Valerie's voice. "It's okay, Sugar Woogums, it could have happened to anybody." There was an empty chair at the table and Morelli was noticeably absent.

Tank shivered. "That's the one that Helen wants Stephanie to be more like? You gotta be kidding me."

Helen sat back down and started in on Stephanie. "How could you break up with Joseph on Christmas Eve? What could have possibly happened? Emily Beeber never broke up with her boyfriend on Christmas. Why me?"

Ranger could imagine her doing a mental head slap. "Mom, he bought me Cooking for Dummies for Christmas."

Helen threw her hands in the air. "Is that so bad? If you learned how to cook, maybe Joe would want to marry you. Then you could settle down and start raising a family."

Stephanie buried her face in her hands. "Mom, I don't want to learn how to cook, I don't want to have kids, and I don't want to get married. Furthermore, Hell will freeze over before I marry someone who can't accept me the way I am, which means I will never marry Morelli."

Helen made the sign of the cross and knocked back the rest of her tea. Mary Alice finished her cake and said, "I need to prance." Valerie nodded. Mary Alice got up from the table and proceeded to run around the living room.

Tank looked at Ranger. "What the hell's wrong with that one?"

Ranger grinned. "She thinks she's a horse."

Helen yelled from the table, "Mary Alice, you're not a horse. Horses don't get Christmas presents."

Mary Alice stopped prancing. "Of course I'm not a horse. It's Christmastime, so I'm a reindeer. Reindeer get extra presents because they have to help Santa with the sleigh."

Tank chuckled. "I like her. She's going to grow up to be just like her aunt." Everyone was finishing their dinner and drifting towards the living room. "I don't know about you, but I do not want to be here when she opens her mother's present." Ranger agreed, so the men went back to the SUV.

Once they were in the car, Ranger said, "I thought you were the ghost of Christmas yet to come. What did that have to do with the future?"

"Man, right now that is her future. She's going to spend every Christmas here in the pit of insanity, getting harassed by her mother because she let that loser go."

Ranger looked at him. "And my future?"

Tank shook his head. "Cold and dark, man, cold and dark." Tank put the SUV in gear and drove back to Rangeman. When they were in the garage, Tank gave him a man hug, said, "Merry Christmas, my brother," and went home to his cats.

Ranger went back upstairs to his cold, dark apartment. He got a glass and poured himself the drink he'd been thinking about for hours. As the whiskey slid down his throat, he looked around his apartment. For the first time, he realized that it was cold and impersonal. He set his drink on the dining room table. He could remember dinners spent with her. It was nice to share a meal with her, talking about cases they were working on. He could see her sitting on his couch, watching TV and hiding from gangbangers. He walked into the bedroom. He could remember how it felt to slide into bed and pull her soft curves up against him. He thought about what it was like to spoon up against her, so he could keep her safe while she kept him warm. Life with Stephanie was fun and interesting and crazy and frustrating and exciting. Life without her was unthinkable. He was so hung up on wanting her to have the husband and the kids and the dog, that he never stopped to think that maybe that wasn't what she wanted at all. "Fuck," he said as he grabbed his keys. It was time to admit what he'd known for a long time. They belonged together.

o0()0o

Stephanie took her time waking up on Christmas morning. She had nowhere she had to be, so she stretched out and debated whether or not to go back to sleep when she felt the familiar tingling sensation on the back of her neck. She rolled over slowly to see Ranger sitting in his chair, watching her. "Merry Christmas, Babe."

She smiled. "Merry Christmas, Ranger." She lifted the covers in invitation, and he slid in next to her, kissing her like he meant it.

When they broke apart, her heart was racing. He held her close, savoring the contact. Ranger pulled back and looked into her eyes. "We need to get up, I have something to show you." She frowned, but got out of bed to take care of business.

When he led her into the living room, she got her first surprise. Standing in her living room was the cutest little Christmas tree she'd ever seen. It was plastic, undecorated, and it was only about four feet tall, but he had gotten her a tree. He nodded to a bag sitting next to it. "I thought we could decorate it together. It was the only one they had left."

Stephanie stifled a sob. "It's perfect, Ranger."

They decorated the tiny tree with plastic ornaments. While they were working, they talked about what they each wanted in life. Well, Stephanie talked, but Ranger really listened to what she had to say. Stephanie could feel herself falling more in love with him. When they were done, Ranger went into the kitchen and brought out a bag of presents. Stephanie raced to the bedroom and brought out her gift for him. They put the presents under the tree and stood back to admire their handiwork.

Ranger handed her the first present. She held up the key fob in confusion. "I already have one of these, Ranger."

The corner of Ranger's mouth lifted in an almost smile. "Not like this one, Babe. In addition to the parking garage and the apartment, this one will get you into the Batcave."

Stephanie went still. "You said…"

Ranger took her hand. "The Batcave is forever. I'm ready to start working on it if you are."

This time, Stephanie didn't bother to stop the tears as she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. This was turning out to be the best Christmas ever.

After they opened the rest of their presents, they sat together on the couch and watched the tree as Ranger held her. Stephanie looked at him over her shoulder and asked, "What would you like to do for the rest of the day?"

Ranger gave her a squeeze. "I'd like to take you home, then if you're up to it, we could go to my parents' house for dinner. Everyone will be there, and they've wanted to meet you for a long time."

Stephanie looked nervous. "Your whole family?"

Ranger turned her so that they were looking at each other. "Everyone, including Lester and Ella. We won't go if you're not ready, but I know they're going to love you. I do."

When they left the apartment to begin their someday, Stephanie moved to unplug the lights. She noticed an ornament she hadn't seen before. She took it off the tree and showed it to Ranger. "A Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato sandwich? What an odd ornament."

Ranger looked at it and put it back on the tree. He said, "Think of it as the ghost of Christmas lunches," and walked Stephanie out the door while the BLT ornament twinkled under the watchful eyes of the angel atop the tree.

**Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night! Love, Sheila.**


End file.
